Specialized's First Electric Cargo Bike Is a Real Winner

I’ve found the idea of a smart ebike to be overrated. During a brief test of a VanMoof, I had to keep tinkering with the app to keep it from beeping and chuckling at me when I or any of my family walked past it in our garage. VanMoof’s initial success, however, pointed to the fact that a lot of people were really attracted to a bike that didn't look overtly technical.

This is Specialized’s first e-cargo bike, and it’s pretty awesome. I’ve been using it for a month to bike my family and all our gear around Portland, Oregon. Because it’s a family bike, everyone has to weigh in—it’s the bike that my husband, 6-year-old son, and 8-year-old daughter opt to ride. It’s as if VanMoof and our own Tern GSD had a baby. I that wasn’t enough, it’s more affordable too.

—no warnings about riding in the rain here. The motor is pretty powerful. Due to the bike’s configuration with the big battery bolted onto the down tube instead of under the rack, it doesn’t feel off-balance when I’m powering up some steep hills, obnoxiously singing along toThe range is enormous. The stated range is 60 miles. The odometer currently says that I’ve put 40 miles on it by just riding my kids and myself around our neighborhood, and the battery is more than half full.

One of the worst-slash-best parts about Specialized’s electric bikes is that they’re designed for people who like to bike. They're not just tiny e-motorcycles. Just like how the Turbo Tero X tries to teach you how to be a better cyclist, the Globe Haul ST wants you to put in the bare minimum of effort.

The interface is very easy and intuitive to use. It’s a basic LED display with a left-hand throttle and a weirdly fun-to-push gray button on the right to turn on the very big and bright front and rear lights. The front light has multiple modes that go up to 1,500 lumens, and I would suggest not accidentally shining it on our friends if you want to keep them. It has maneuverable, compact 20-inch multi-terrain tires that felt fine when I decided to cut through gravel roads.

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